Financial advisors use their knowledge of investments, tax laws, and insurance to recommend financial options to individuals. The SEC typically regulates investment advisers that have assets under management in excess of $25,000,000. Investment advisers that do not meet this threshold generally are regulated by the states. The SEC registers IA firms but does not separately register individual representatives of IA firms. The states register IA firms, and many separately register individual investment adviser representatives. Currently, you can only search for IA firms on this website. In the future, this website also will provide the ability to search for individual investment adviser representatives. In 1996 Congress amended the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 to require that the SEC establish a readily accessible electronic process to respond to public inquiries about investment advisers and their disciplinary information. The SEC created this website to satisfy Congress? mandate.